"It is axiomatic that because water is such a complex, pervasive issue, solutions to its problem must be commensurate with its complexity. The key to dealing effectively with the layered intracacies of water is to pay attention to the interlinkages, e.g., approaches that combine supply and demand-side policies. Controlling problems of water scarcity and maldistribution in hydrologically marginal regions such as the Middle East require policies that emphasize managing demand and need rather than focussing on increasingly difficult efforts to increase supplies."--Title page